I was kinda of neutral for a while. My mom had polio which left her with one leg a quarter inch shorter than the other, which permanently messed up her pelvis which led to serious issues trying to birth me, her oldest which ended in an emergency C/S. That factored into researching more. When I was in college I worked in a lab that still has ongoing research so I won't go into too much about it, but it led me to see a lot of what parents see as a vaccine injury isn't really a vaccine injury. Now, there are of course parents who DO experience vaccine injuries in their children and I am not minimizing that, just that not all are vaccine injuries. Then I started into the well of peer-reviewed research and started to see that the anti-vax arguments were generally quite thin in anything to back it up whereas the pro-vax arguments had in many cases decades of verifiable and duplicated data to back it up. I also liked that the trend of the vaxes was to continue to evolve them and make each one safer and full of less "stuff" over the years. We do receive more vaccinations now than the 80's, but each vaccine is safer and more streamlined, which results in being exposed to less than we were exposed to as children.

After college I worked in NYC and a co-worker's baby caught pertussis and passed away. It was heartbreaking. I can still remember that cough, it was so scary.

Finally, I had a professor break down exactly how a vaccine works. I gave this example in another thread, but vaccines are like advanced intelligence at how the enemy is going to try to kill you. You get advanced warning and are able to build you factory and manufacture all your weapons molds, so the factory is ready and waiting to churn out the exact weapons you need in order to take down the enemy. With someone who hasn't been vaccinated, their body is blindsided. They have to spend the time to assess the situation, build the factory, and then start manufacturing the weapons. They are behind in the fight. Preparation is often the difference in success versus failure in every walk of life. Why should our bodies be any different?

So, I don't know anyone whose child or who as a child was affected by a vaccine other than a few people who had rashes, or fevers, or some lethargy. But, I do know someone with a dead baby and someone else who hasn't walked without pain since she was a pre-teen. I am not interested in anecdotal evidence anyways, but if I were to look at the anecdotes that I actually know in real life, I would rather risk a rash than what my co-worker deals with. JMO.

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Andrea
Mama to B and E, Wife to E
Parenting with Hugs and Terror since 2011

Can any of you who researched and changed your minds PM me some info on where you found the info to change your mind? I still have no clue what I want to do. :/ DS1 is vaxed up to schedule although he was delayed and spaced. Really the only reason I got him up to date was for his preschool requirements. DS2 I honestly have no idea where he's at. He had some although he too was delayed and spaced. He hasn't been to the Dr in probably 1.5 yrs. He goes in March for a checkup and I don't know what I want to do. The baby hasn't had anything yet. I hate never feeling confident in my decision.

My sources were all print ones that are not available online (medical journals). Sorry!

Just curious, why are so many pro-vaxers against the flu shot and/or rotavirus? I live in a small town now and no longer have access to a medical library, so I don't feel like I can do any legit research anymore.

Rotavirus can be deadly very quickly in very young infants, thus why it is really only necessary for them (as opposed to older kids--no point anymore, their bodies can handle it). A healthy unvaxxed mom and her unvaxxed toddler here died yesterday from confirmed influenza. So I am curious about others' findings about those two specific vaccines. Thanks!

My sources were all print ones that are not available online (medical journals). Sorry!

Just curious, why are so many pro-vaxers against the flu shot and/or rotavirus? I live in a small town now and no longer have access to a medical library, so I don't feel like I can do any legit research anymore.

Rotavirus can be deadly very quickly in very young infants, thus why it is really only necessary for them (as opposed to older kids--no point anymore, their bodies can handle it). A healthy unvaxxed mom and her unvaxxed toddler here died yesterday from confirmed influenza. So I am curious about others' findings about those two specific vaccines. Thanks!

I think that many are conflicted about the fact it's not as effective as other vaccines. According to the CDC, the effectiveness varies from year to year. Some years it's incredibly effective, others, like this year, may be as low as 62% effective (according to TIME magazine). I don't view vaccines as remotely dangerous, assuming the individual getting vaccinated isn't allergic to the ingredients and has no history of reaction. Therefore, I'm a big fan of the flu vaccine because lowering the risk that much (influenza, as you said, can be a big deal) is totally worth it.

I went from anti-to selective/delayed. I read Dr. Sear's Vaccine Book and thought it was the least biased information I could get ahold of. His statistics of everything under the sun was very informative. Found his aluminum theory very interesting. I lent my book out to someone and never got it back, so I need to buy it. It's a great one to keep.

I was never totally anti-vax, but did delay, mostly because I like being able to pick which vaccination were the issue if a problem came up, we have a lot of family allergies, which is why I was more nervous. But his lack of issues so far, and a current trip in the works to the kind of country where they have these dieases are still around I decided to do some catch up and he has everything plus one that we don't normally get. Better safe then sorry for us. The travel has changed my views a bit as did Anti-vax people, it seemed that they rarely can back up there stance with good studies, instead of antitodes.

I was the opposite. I was pro-vax, planning to get all of them on time. Then my DD had a terrible rxn to her 2 mth vaccines. I am not anti-vaccine now, but I am anti-one-size-fits-all schedule. I think it is fine for most people, but those of us who do not follow it are not evil either. I am doing what is best and safest for my child (now children).

We did a lot of research (mostly print articles that I no longer have access to), weighed the risks and benefits of each vaccine as well as the risks of each disease and came up with our own schedule (with the input of our children's pediatrician, with whom we have a great rapport). It is slow, and careful. It skips the vaccines that we consider unnecessary and the ones that are the likely culprits of DD's rxn. Some are delayed, others given on time. It was the right choice for our kids.

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S, mama to K (9/07) and e (7/09) and married to my best friend, E

This is a great thread. I'm very pro vax, all 4 of my kids are totally vaxed on schedule, ranging from age 10 months on up to 10 years, but I'm finding myself being swayed by the anti vax movement for baby #5 on the way. All of the aluminum/ mercury stuff out there is scary. So it's good to see stories re people that have flipped from anti vax to pro vax. Makes me feel like maybe I did do the right thing with my other children, and I should just continue on the course??? Sorry I have nothing new to provide, I just find this a very informative thread

This is a great thread. I'm very pro vax, all 4 of my kids are totally vaxed on schedule, ranging from age 10 months on up to 10 years, but I'm finding myself being swayed by the anti vax movement for baby #5 on the way. All of the aluminum/ mercury stuff out there is scary. So it's good to see stories re people that have flipped from anti vax to pro vax. Makes me feel like maybe I did do the right thing with my other children, and I should just continue on the course??? Sorry I have nothing new to provide, I just find this a very informative thread

There's no longer mercury in the overwhelming majority of vaccines, and where it still is, it's in very trace amounts. Here is a great chart! It's also important to remind yourself who you trust more, the vast, overwhelming majority of scientists and every medical organization in the western world, or people on the internet.

There's no longer mercury in the overwhelming majority of vaccines, and where it still is, it's in very trace amounts. Here is a great chart! It's also important to remind yourself who you trust more, the vast, overwhelming majority of scientists and every medical organization in the western world, or people on the internet.

I haven't had a ton of time to look into, but the mercury in vaccines is also, I believe, a different chemical compound than environmental mercury (which is highly toxic)